Skift Take
Technology companies are embedding smart speakers into all kinds of household devices, ranging from toothbrushes to refrigerators. A strong use case for hospitality, however, has yet to emerge.
Smart speakers powered by artificial intelligence could be reaching the apex of their hype cycle.
Vendors displayed dozens of them at CES 2018 in Las Vegas last week, with many embedded into household devices instead of standing alone as a consumer product.
In the hospitality space, smart speaker adoption has been limited. Wynn Las Vegas, for instance, added an Amazon Echo unit to each hotel room in early 2017, while chains like Best Western and Marriott have also installed units in a small number of hotels.
There are still many issues, however, that hinder the proliferation of smart speakers in a hospitality environment.
Foremost is ensuring the privacy of guests. There have already been scandals based on errors causing smart speakers to constantly listen in to the conversations around them, and problems like these giv
